Ian Machado Garry confronted a hostile Philadelphia crowd that greeted him with boos as soon as he took the stage, a scene that raises the stakes for his welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev this weekend.
Fans repeatedly pledged allegiance to Russia's Makhachev, the champion who is aiming to further cement his legacy on Saturday. Garry met the reaction with defiance, telling the crowd, "On Saturday night that belt will be wrapped around my waist and every single one of you is going to change - it's going to be 'let's go Garry' chants." He added, "I couldn't care less [about the booing]. My little boy is here laughing and making faces - I'm living the dream."
The 28-year-old arrives with a meteoric record, 17 wins in 18 professional bouts and 10 wins from 11 since signing with the UFC, a run that established him as the number one contender in the division. Ahead of the fight Garry set strict boundaries with the media, saying during media day he would only answer questions about the bout.
That stance boiled over at Thursday's news conference when a reporter asked, "A lot of fans sometimes say that Ian is annoying, do you find Ian annoying?" Garry cut in before Makhachev replied, calling the question, "That's a loaded question," and accusing the journalist of trying to provoke trouble. He said, "We're friends, I thought we were cool. That's putting words in his mouth and you know it," and urged the press to "be professional and stick to the sport," adding, "This is the biggest fight of the year, I think there are more important things to talk about."
The pair's public interactions have shown different tones. Garry said he felt "nervous energy" from Makhachev during their Wednesday face-off at the Rocky Balboa statue, yet the fighters were cordial on Thursday, shaking hands before Garry asked, "you ready?"
Saturday's title fight at UFC 330 will determine whether Garry can translate his promotional poise and unbeaten domestic run into a win under open hostility, or whether Makhachev will use the crowd and his champion momentum to cement his place atop the welterweight division.
